


Tonight

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Robert Week 2018 [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, Some angst, just slightly less of one, robert is a bisexual disaster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 06:39:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15902904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Robert week day 2: Write an emotional scene between Robert and another charactera different take on the affair reveal





	Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> this is a different version of the affair reveal, where Sarah is alive and well and there for Rob - and robron's insane love didn't accidentally kill Katie

“How could you! I trusted you! I convinced dad to hire you! I love you!”

Chrissie’s voice got louder with every word.

“I love you too… I just…”

“Had an affair with some skank behind my back?! Lied to me for god knows how long?!”

“I don’t want to lie anymore Chrissie, I can’t take it anymore.”

“YOU can’t take it anymore?! Because everything is always about you, isn’t it Robert?! It’s always you, you, you!” Chrissie yelled and poked his chest for emphasis.

“I’m sorry. I - ”

“You proposed to me! We’re supposed to get married!” She yelled and took a step back, going quiet like she just realised something. “That’s why you never want to talk about the wedding, isn’t it? Why you can’t even be bothered to pick a date. You’ve been with her all this time.”

“No, Chrissie, that’s not true. I meant it when I proposed to you. I really did want to marry you and I did love you. Do. I just…”

“Love her more.”

“Yeah…” Robert said quietly. “I’m sorry. I’ll go now. I’ve packed some clothes, I’ll be back for the rest of my stuff some other time.” He picked up his bag and walked out the door to his car.

“Who is she?” Chrissie demanded as he put his bag in the boot.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does. It’s someone I know isn’t it? Is it Katie? No, no, you wouldn’t do that to your brother…” She walked closer to him, arms crossed in front of her chest. “No, it’s not her… and there is no-one in this village desperate enough to sleep with you…” she narrowed her eyes. “It’s Rebecca isn’t it?! My sister! You’ve been sleeping with my sister behind my back! That’s why she didn’t come home at Christmas!”

Robert hesitated. He thought about saying yes and just getting in his car driving away. It wouldn’t even be a lie. Rebecca had been easy and exciting. The thrill of almost getting caught on more than one occasion. But he’d never been interested in the youngest White sister, not really, and she hadn’t been able to hold his attention for long.

“No. It’s not Rebecca.”

“Who is she then? It’s not Katie, it’s not Rebecca… who else is there? Is it Chas?”

“Chas?! My mum’s friend? Do you really think I’d be that stupid?”

Chrissie shrugged.

“I don’t know Robert. Turns out I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

Robert took a deep breath. He really didn’t want to tell her, but he also knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t let this go.

“It’s not Chas. The person I’ve been seeing… she… she doesn’t exist. She is a he.”

“What?!”

“I’ve been seeing a man. It’s Aaron.”

“Aaron? Aaron Dingle? The mechanic?” Chrissie asked and Robert nodded. “So you’re gay?!”

“No I’m not gay, Chrissie.”

“What else would you call it then, Robert?”

“I’m not having this conversation.” Robert said and got into his car. “I’ll stop by in a few days for the rest of my things.”

He drove to the village, grateful the streets were empty and everyone was either inside the pub or their own home.

Thankfully the lights inside Jacob’s Fold were on and when he knocked on the door his mum opened almost right away.

“Robert? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

“Define alright.” He shrugged and gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Chrissie and I are over.”

Sarah frowned.

“What? What happened?”

“I uh… messed it up. As per.” Robert told her. “I had an affair. I fell in love with someone else.” He clarified when his mother didn’t seem to understand what he was saying. “Can I stay here for a while?”

“Of course sweetheart. Come in.” Sarah said, ushering him inside. “I made tomato soup, like when you were little, do you want some?”

“No thanks mum, I’m not hungry. I’m just going to take a shower if that’s ok.”

“Of course. But no hiding in your room when you’re done, ok? Come talk to me.”

Robert nodded and walked up the stairs, while checking his phone for messages.

To A  
7:01 PM  
Kiss and make up?

To A  
7:05 PM  
I told her. It’s over.  
  
To A  
7:20 PM  
I’m at my mum’s. Come over?

To A  
7:45 PM  
I know you’re getting these messages. Call me if you don’t want to come over. Need to talk to you.

To A  
7:50 PM  
Don’t make me beg.

To A  
7:51 PM  
Call me when you get this. Please.

To A  
7:53 PM  
I choose you.

Robert sighed and slipped his phone into his pocket before making his way downstairs.

“Feel better now?” Sarah asked when she noticed Robert coming into the kitchen.

“Sort of.” He shrugged and sat down, quickly glancing at his phone to see if there had been a reply.

“Waiting to hear from Chrissie?”

“Ha, no. I’m pretty sure she hates me now. Can’t say I blame her really…”

“Do you want to tell me what happened? Because the last time I saw you, you seemed happy with Chrissie.”

Robert nodded.

“Yeah… seemed. I was late to that dinner party, remember? And I wasn’t stuck in traffic.”

“You were… with…”

“Yeah.” Robert admitted. “I’m not proud of it… but I just… couldn’t help myself.” He said, tracing patterns on the kitchen table with his fingers so he wouldn’t have to see the look of disappointment on his mother’s face.

“How long have you been seeing this other person?” Sarah asked.

“A few months. About six. It started not long after I moved back here.”

“Alright. And it’s serious?”

“I… hope so? We had a massive fight the other day and they told me to choose because they were sick of hiding and sneaking around.”

“And that’s when you decided to tell Chrissie?”

Robert took a deep breath and nodded, still avoiding looking his mother in in the eye.

“Yeah. He deserves better than to be my dirty little secret.”

“He?” Sarah asked and Robert’s cheeks reddened when he realised he’d slipped up.

“I uh… yeah. He. I fell in love with another man.” Robert told her, bracing himself for the fall out.

“Oh. Alright. I didn’t know you were attracted to men.” Sarah said after a minute.

“I’m not gay.”

“I never said you were.”

“I… uh… I think I might be bi…”

Sarah smiled and grabbed her son’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Thanks for telling me, love.”

“I’ve never said it out loud before. I’ve always hidden that part of me.”

“Why? Did you not think Chrissie would understand? Or that I wouldn’t?”

“I was scared. With the way dad and Andy always talked about gay people… I was scared of what they’d say about me.” Robert said, finally looking up. “But dad is gone now and Andy hates my guts anyway so it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Don’t say that.” Sarah said, getting up from the table. “He’s your brother, he loves you.”

“He’s got a funny way of showing.” Robert muttered under his breath.

“I heard that.” Sarah said and placed a bowl of soup in front of Robert. “Eat. And then tell me about this special man in your life. Is it anyone I know?”

“Uhm… yeah… yeah it is. It’s Aaron.” Robert said and tried to suppress a smile.

“Aaron? Chas’ Aaron?” Sarah asked and Robert nodded. “How did that happen?”

“I faked a break down. He came to fix my car.” Robert told her, leaving out the details. “He just… makes me feel special. He’s kind but he won’t put up with anyone’s bullshit. Especially mine.” He said with a chuckle. “He’s just… he’s everything.”

Sarah smiled.

“I’m happy for you love. There are easier ways you could have done this, but I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Yeah. I don’t know how long that’s going to last though. I’ve been texting him all night but he’s not replying to any of my messages. I think I’m too late.”

“Give him some time, he might be busy. Chas mentioned something about needing an extra pair of hands behind the bar tonight because Charity is away.”

Robert gave a non committal grunt and busied himself eating his soup.

“Love, if he’s stuck with you for six months already, one fight isn’t going to make him give up.”

“It’s not just the fight, mum, it’s the way I’ve treated him the past few months. Like he was second best. Just something to scratch an itch. But he’s so much more than that. I love him.”

“And what makes you so sure he doesn’t know that?”

“I haven’t exactly told him…”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t know.”

At that moment Robert’s phone beeped signalling a message.

From A  
8:14 PM  
Had to help out in the bar. Be there in 10.

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the door and Robert rushed to open it.

“Hey.” He said, unsure, when he saw Aaron standing there on his mother’s doorstep.

“Hey.” Aaron replied and bit his lip. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, yeah, course.” Robert said and ushered him inside. Out of a force of habit he checked if there was anyone in the street that could have seen them.

“The coast is clear.” Aaron said, sounding annoyed. “I thought you told her?”

“I did, I did. Sorry. I feel stupid. Sneaking my boyfriend into my mum’s house like a teenager.”

Aaron smiled at that.

“Boyfriend? Is that what I am?”

“I hope so.” The smile on Robert’s face matched Aaron’s. “I know I’ve treated you like shit but… I was hoping we could start again? Properly? No more hiding.”

Aaron stepped closer and put his hands on Robert’s waist.

“No more hiding?”

“No.”

“So I can do this in public from now on?”

Robert nodded and leaned in for a kiss.

“And that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like that.”

“Me too.”

“Is your mum in?”

“Yeah. Through there.” Robert said, nodding in the general direction of the living room. “We could go upstairs. To talk. In my room.”

“Ok. Lead the way.”

Sarah watched the two men through a crack in the door and saw Robert take Aaron’s hand and lead him upstairs. She’d planned to go say hello to Aaron when he’d come in but something had stopped her. The two of them were in their own little bubble and she didn’t want to ruin that.

When she heard the door to Robert’s room close she decided to give them some more privacy and settled on the sofa and turned the sound of the tv up a little louder than usual.

Knowing Chrissie White, there would be plenty of drama coming their way soon so the least she could do was let them have tonight.


End file.
